Searching Out Arthur
by Choices.Options
Summary: One-shots, first in a series. Mostly Arthur/Eames, but may have other characters. Some are established relationships, others aren't.
1. Morning Musings

With an almost lamenting sigh Arthur straightened his back, got out of bed and set about creating his work persona. Professional, restrained, toned-down and combed back. He pulled off a shirt too baggy for his everyday tastes and tugged pressed black pants out of his closet. He pulled his shirt and vest down from a hook as he passed into the bathroom and lay them flat across the counter to keep them neat before bending to start his shower running.

Repressing a groan as he noticed the mess that could barely be called his hair he stepped into the shower and let the hot water run down his back. He was exhausted, very sore and really didn't want to go into work today. Not that he'd say that to Cobb when they met up. They were supposed to be meeting a new partner today at lunch. Arthur could have scoffed at the absurdity of that one statement. He'd already met the new partner, but Dom wanted to make sure that Arthur and this man would get along this time around.

The shower door opened briefly and Arthur felt hands running up his back to his shoulders before he heard the voice to accompany it. "Darling, you should really consider a very good massage to get rid of some of the tension. I'd be all to happy to oblige." A kiss was dropped onto his shoulder before Arthur turned around and managed a petty glare.

"Eames, I will kill you if you even think about it. Thanks to you I'm -"

"Deliciously ravaged and wonderfully desirable?" Eames supplied before cautiously pressing the point-man to the wall and beginning to trail kisses across his collar bone and neck.

"-Sore as hell and wondering how I'm going to sit down through this meeting." Arthur almost laughed when Eames chuckled and murmured into his ear.

"Simple love, I call Dom and tell him that so as I can have you to myself every night," Arthur let out an indignant squeak when Eames ran a hand over his length, "Well, we'll get along just fine."


	2. Playing Pretend

Eames first met Cobb in a bar, and ever since they'd been meeting in bars or casinos. Anywhere where there was enough people to successfully conceal them from the public eye, where people were to focused on themselves to even think about noticing the scruffy Brit and his neat companion. So when Cobb wanted him to meet his brand new protege, they met in a bar.

Arthur got carded.

And that was it. From there on in, the Point Man was always too young, too inexperienced to be taken seriously and he was always known as 'darling' to Eames because that's what he said when he rescued him. Arthur looked all of 17 swallowed up in a tee shirt big enough to hold both Cobb and Eames at once. It was constantly falling off one shoulder and the Point Man was forever pulling it up.

When he went to the bar to get a drink, Eames kept close by to observe - just to see what he drunk, because he believed that you could know almost everything about a man by what he drinks. So when he heard the bartender asked for ID, Eames stepped in.

"Hey there darling," His arm slid around Arthur's slim waist and tugged him close to the Englishman's hip, "You were taking too long so I wanted to come investigate." He pressed a chaste kiss to Arthur's cheek, close enough to his ear to whisper inconspicuously that if the young man didn't want to get carded in front of roughly 300 people he should shut the hell up and play along.

Without a word, Arthur's hand found it's way to link their fingers and he turned up his face to press soft lips against the Brit's jaw.

Eames ordered for the two of them, saying they were celebrating Arthur's 22nd birthday. The bartender bought it, of course he did, it took Eames all of three seconds to decide that this particular gentleman would buy that Arthur was just a young looking boyfriend of Eames'.

Eames paid for and carried the drinks to the table, shooting a look at Arthur before smirking at Cobb and saying, "As I was just telling our darling Arthur here..."

From then on, he made a conscious effort to slip a darling or two into every paragraph of speech he gave Arthur, if only to remind him that once upon a time, the young man had been forced to pretend at being his lover in order to avoid being embarrassed beyond his wildest dreams.


	3. Of Kidnapped Ties & Rumpled Looks

**A/N; **Fluffy and written in a hurry. Hopefully it's good. Post movie.

* * *

Dom noticed it first, but when he noticed that he was the first he opted to keep his mouth shut until another could confirm his theories. Yusef came second, having known Eames for a bit more time then Ariadne Dom expected this one, and he immediately came to Dom to voice his concerns. They met in his office late at night and did a brief check to make sure the topic of discussion were gone.

"I'm worried Cobb. Neither of them are acting as would be considered normal." Yusef rung his hands once before tucking them into his pockets to cover it up. "We went out to a bar last night and he didn't even think about returning the affections of a very pretty girl. I think he's sick."

"Both of them are acting differently you say?" Cobb posed the question softly, he couldn't outright ask because that might contaminate the findings, 'leading the witness' as a lawyer would say.

"Arthur worries me most. Eames may just be sick, but Arthur is most definitely not and yet he's not right. His desk is unoriganized and he's been looking more and more rumpled. I've never known him to have even a hair out of place and yet now it seems like everything is out of place."

"I know!" A undoubtedly feminine voice reached them and Ariadne came into the office. "Arthur and I were talking recently and when I asked about his tie, or lack thereof, he just shrugged and said that it had been kidnapped. Very un-Arthur like. I'm worried about him. Dom, fix it please." She blinked up at him and he sighed.

"To summerize, we've all noticed something is amiss and that is focuses on Eames and Arthur." When they nodded he continued, "I'll figure it out and fix it." He bid them a good night then called both Eames and Arthur in, saying there was something important that he needed to talk with them about.

As soon as the duo arrived, Dom's concerns only increased. Arthur was wearing on his older shirts, from before Mal and he got through with his wardrobe, and his hair was a mess. Eames was smirking like he'd seen something very amusing and was waiting to tease Arthur with it.

"Sit, please." They both slid into a seat and waited quietly. "What's going on? Yusef and Ariande both expressed concerns over the fact that you were both acting strange. I've noticed it as well, and it worries me." He leaned back against the desk and waited.

Eames laughed. "Cat's out of the bag! Our darling Arthur and I-"

"Shut up ." Arthur didn't even hesitate. "Nothing is wrong Cobb. I'm fine and we're both still functioning, so no worries." Cobb was quiet for a second before he kicked Eames out, telling him to wait by Arthur's desk for him. Eames made a joke about the Dad being pissed off before he walked away.

"Arthur, tell me." Sure enough, his Dad voice came out. From the very beginning he couldn't resist looking at Arthur like a son, he was young and he tried so hard to act old so people would stop doubting him. "There is something wrong and I know it."And how could he resist acting like Dad when Arthur dressed like a 16 year old.

"Did they both really notice or were you making that up?" He sounded so quiet that Cobb had to stop himself from feeling like an ass for pointing out the problem.

"They noticed, how could they not. Now answer me."

Arthur buried his face in his hands and opened his mouth to reply then closed it. "I need to talk to Eames. Give me a minute." He hurried away and Dom waited through the quiet but heated discussion. Arthur returned with Eames and the Englishman couldn't possibly have been smiling more.

"Go on then, I know you are dying to." The Point-man muttered quietly. Clearly unimpressed with the situation, or Eames Dom wasn't sure which. Eames smiled all too brightly before turning to Dom and winking. Without warning he pulled Arthur into a soul-searing kiss. Arthur looked startled and floundered for a moment before closing his eyes and falling into it. Dom's eyebrows raced for his hairline and he'd only barely regained control of his expression when Eames moved away.

"I said tell him - not kiss me."

"Couldn't resist love, plus I think Cobb gets my drift." Eames turned on Dom. "See where I'm going with this?"

"You two are together?" Dom blinked once. "So that's why Arthur has been disorganized."

"No, he's been a mess because I'm moving in with him and he's freaking out, I keep telling him to give it a minute before he flips, but will he listen? Course not." Eames laughed when Arthur actually stuck his tongue out at him. "He's never lived with anyone and all of a sudden I'm there all the time."

"I don't need to know anymore. Tell the team tomorrow or they'll be the ones 'freaking out' as you put it." Dom waved them away and went home to his kids. When he came in the next day, everything made sense. Arthur's tie had been kidnapped by Eames and he often looked rumpled because Eames was stealing kisses from him.

Arthur had been adamant that they wouldn't tell the team, and Eames blamed Dom for this little point of contention because Dom was like Arthur's father only worse because Dom carried a gun and could kill you in your sleep with ease and grace. Eames wasn't checking out the girls because he wanted to prove to his lover that he could in fact be a monogamous lover.

And when Dom walked in the next day, he wasn't even phased by the sight of Arthur sitting on the top of his desk with Eames pressed against him and currently stealing his breath away. Ariadne and Yusef however, looked about ready to faint.

As he walked by he laughed, "Oh did I forget to mention. They're together." He dropped his coat off and moved on. "Arthur, if your finished I'd like to go over the information about Donovan now and Eames you are going under with Ariadne to see if she can detect you. Use the brunette that we both agreed on, not that blond from the bar alright? Yusef, do you mind watching them?"

And with that. It was business as usual, only Arthur was slightly more ruffled and Eames was wearing a grin that threatened to split his face.

Ah yes, and Ariadne wanted details, STAT.


End file.
